Cameroon Introduces RTS-S Malaria Vaccine to Children: A Historic Moment in Fight Against Deadly Disease

Cameroon, Central Africa Angola
Malaria is a deadly disease that affects millions of people worldwide, with the majority of cases and deaths occurring in Africa. In recent years, there have been significant advancements in malaria research and vaccine development.
The RTS-S vaccine has been approved by WHO for use in routine vaccination programs across Africa.
Cameroon Introduces RTS-S Malaria Vaccine to Children: A Historic Moment in Fight Against Deadly Disease

Malaria is a deadly disease that affects millions of people worldwide, with the majority of cases and deaths occurring in Africa. In recent years, there have been significant advancements in malaria research and vaccine development. One such breakthrough is the RTS-S vaccine, which has been approved by WHO for use in routine vaccination programs across Africa. This marks a historic moment as Cameroon becomes the first country to introduce this new malaria vaccine to its children.



Confidence

100%

No Doubts Found At Time Of Publication

Sources

92%

  • Unique Points
    • Professor Sir Brian Greenwood set out to pin down why the lives of so many small African children were being cut tragically short.
    • “You can’t get too emotional, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to do your job,” said Greenwood.
    • The number one killer in the Gambia was malaria.
    • Greenwood is now 85 and based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
    • From what they told him about the fevers and sickness that had consumed their infants and toddlers, he learnt that the number one killer was malaria.
    • Cameroon became the first country in Africa to introduce routine malaria vaccinations
  • Accuracy
    • Cameroon became the first country in the world to introduce routine malaria vaccinations
    • Children have started receiving one as part of childhood immunisations, and as the vaccinations roll out across Africa, more children will now live beyond five years old.
    • Malaria cases and deaths have been rising since 2017 in Cameroon. Nearly 30% of all hospital consultations are malaria-related.
    • The new vaccines against P. falciparum parasite reduce cases by more than half when provided annually, and by up to 75% when given seasonally.
    • At least 40-60 million doses of malaria vaccine will be needed by 2026; growing to 80-100 million doses each year by 2030. This is where the second malaria vaccine (R21) comes in.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
    The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of malaria as they are reporting on Professor Sir Brian Greenwood's work at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in Gambia. The article does not disclose this conflict.

    82%

    • Unique Points
      • Cameroon became the first country in the world to introduce routine malaria vaccinations
      • Children have started receiving one as part of childhood immunisations, and as the vaccinations roll out across Africa, more children will now live beyond five years old.
      • The new vaccines against P. falciparum parasite reduce cases by more than half when provided annually, and by up to 75% when given seasonally.
      • At least 40-60 million doses of malaria vaccine will be needed by 2026; growing to 80-100 million doses each year by 2030. This is where the second malaria vaccine (R21) comes in.
    • Accuracy
      No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
    • Deception (50%)
      The article contains two examples of deceptive practices. The first is the use of sensationalism in the headline which states that there are 'good news to cheer you' when it only mentions one example of good news. This misrepresents the content and creates a false sense of hope for readers who may be looking for positive stories about humanity.
      • The article uses sensationalism in its headline which states that there are 'good news to cheer you' when it only mentions one example of good news. This misrepresents the content and creates a false sense of hope for readers who may be looking for positive stories about humanity.
      • The article contains an example of selective reporting as it focuses on two vaccines, RTSS and R21, without mentioning any other malaria vaccines that have been developed or are currently being used. This gives the impression that these two vaccines are the only solution to malaria when in fact there are multiple options available.
    • Fallacies (85%)
      The article contains two fallacies: Appeals to Authority and Inflammatory Rhetoric. The author cites the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General as an authority on malaria research without providing any evidence of their expertise or qualifications in this area. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory language such as
      • Cameroon became the first country in the world to introduce routine malaria vaccinations.
      • Public transport passenger numbers increased by 24% compared with 2022.
    • Bias (85%)
      The article contains examples of both religious and monetary bias. The author uses the phrase 'war-torn' to describe malaria which is a disease caused by parasites rather than warfare. This implies that there is some sort of moral judgment being made about those who suffer from malaria, suggesting a religious or ideological bias.
      • Cameroon is a country where malaria cases and deaths have been rising since 2017.
        • Globally, there are 247 million annual cases of malaria and nearly every minute a child under five years of age dies of the disease.
          • The deadliest creature on earth is not the ferocious lion, hungry hippo or stealthy shark, but the tiny mosquito which kills 619,000 humans a year with malaria.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          76%

          • Unique Points
            • Cameroon becomes the first country in the world to introduce routine malaria vaccinations
            • Children under five are among those at highest risk for malaria.
            • RTS,S is the world's first malaria vaccine that has been approved by WHO in 2021.
          • Accuracy
            • The first routine vaccine to protect children from malaria launches in Cameroon.
            • Cameroon's babies and other children under five are up first to receive the immunizations.
          • Deception (50%)
            The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that RTS-S vaccine has been approved by WHO for routine immunizations in Africa following its approval by WHO in 2021. However, this statement is false as the vaccine was not approved until March 31st, 2023.
            • The article states that children under five are among those at highest risk of malaria. This is a common misconception and does not reflect current scientific evidence.
            • The article claims that RTS-S vaccine has been approved by WHO for routine immunizations in Africa following its approval by WHO in 2021. However, this statement is false as the vaccine was not approved until March 31st, 2023.
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
            The article discusses the implementation of a routine malaria vaccination program in Africa. The author has multiple conflicts of interest related to this topic.
            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication

            67%

            • Unique Points
              • Cameroon has started the world's first routine vaccine programme against malaria
              • The RTS,S vaccine is being offered to all infants up to six months old in Cameroon for free
              • Every year 600,000 people die of malaria in Africa and children under five make up at least 80% of those deaths
            • Accuracy
              No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
            • Deception (50%)
              The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that every year 600,000 people die of malaria in Africa and children under five make up at least 80% of those deaths. However this information is not accurate as it only refers to estimated numbers from a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 21 African countries between 25th May, 2017 and July, 3rd, 2019. The actual number of malaria deaths in Africa varies yearly and is influenced by factors such as funding for healthcare systems and access to medication. Secondly the author claims that the RTS-S vaccine causes a drop in deaths of children eligible age but fails to mention that this was only observed in three countries (Kenya, Ghana, Malawi) where there were already low malaria incidence rates before vaccination began. The article also does not provide any evidence or data on the efficacy rate of the vaccine beyond what is stated by US researchers which may be outdated and unreliable. Lastly, the author quotes a Cameroonian king who claims that people are being used as guinea pigs for this vaccine but fails to mention that vaccination officials have assured mothers at Monday's launch that it is safe, effective and free.
              • The statement 'Every year 600,000 people die of malaria in Africa' is not accurate. The actual number varies yearly and is influenced by factors such as funding for healthcare systems and access to medication.
            • Fallacies (85%)
              The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the vaccine and hailed its launch in Cameroon as a historic moment. The author also quotes experts such as Shalom Ndoula and Willis Akhwale without providing any context or information about their expertise, which could be seen as an appeal to authority fallacy.
              • The World Health Organization (WHO) approved the vaccine
              • Shalom Ndoula is quoted saying that they have a capacity to considerably reduce the number of cases and deaths from malaria
            • Bias (85%)
              The article contains a statement that the vaccine causes a drop in deaths of children eligible for it. However, this is not supported by any evidence provided in the article. The author also quotes an expert who argues that while the vaccine is effective to some extent, it should be used alongside other tools such as mosquito nets and malaria tablets.
              • Development of the RTS,S vaccine has taken 30 years of research by the British drug-maker GSK
                • Every year 600,000 people die of malaria in Africa
                  • The jab is known to be effective in at least 36% of cases
                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                    The article by Paul Njie and Natasha Booty has multiple examples of conflicts of interest. The authors are affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef, which have a vested interest in promoting vaccines for malaria. Additionally, the article mentions Daniella as being from Cameroon, but does not disclose any financial ties or personal relationships between her and the WHO or Unicef.
                    • Daniella is mentioned in the article without any mention of a relationship to either organization.
                      • The authors are affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef
                      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                        The article by Paul Njie and Natasha Booty has multiple conflicts of interest. The author is affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO) which is a key player in the distribution of malaria vaccines. Additionally, Unicef is also mentioned as being involved in the rollout of this vaccine program.
                        • The article mentions that Paul Njie and Natasha Booty are reporting on behalf of AFP (Agence France-Presse), which has a financial stake in the distribution of malaria vaccines. This could potentially influence their coverage and objectivity.

                        74%

                        • Unique Points
                          • . The vaccination will save lives. It will provide major relief to families and the country's health system.
                          • Cameroon became the first country in the world to introduce routine malaria vaccinations
                          • . Every year 600,000 people die of malaria in Africa and children under five make up at least 80% of those deaths
                        • Accuracy
                          • . Every year 600,000 people die of malaria in Africa and children under five make up at least 85% of those deaths
                        • Deception (50%)
                          The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Cameroon will be the first country to routinely give children a new malaria vaccine as the shots are rolled out in Africa. However, this statement is false as other countries have already started vaccinating their populations with Mosquirix and Oxford's malaria vaccine.
                          • The campaign due to start Monday was described by officials as a milestone in the decades-long effort to curb the mosquito-spread disease on the continent
                          • Cameroon will be the first country to routinely give children a new malaria vaccine
                        • Fallacies (85%)
                          The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the World Health Organization endorsed Mosquirix two years ago without providing any evidence or context for this endorsement. Secondly, the author presents a dichotomous depiction of malaria vaccines as either perfect or imperfect when in reality there is no such clear-cut distinction. Thirdly, the article contains inflammatory rhetoric by stating that
                          • Bias (100%)
                            None Found At Time Of Publication
                          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                            The article reports on Cameroon's malaria vaccine program for children. The author is Associated Press and the topics of interest are Africa, World Health Organization (WHO), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Oxford University, Gavi vaccines alliance and Serum Institute of India.
                            • The article mentions that Cameroon's malaria vaccine program is being supported by the WHO. The author does not disclose any potential conflicts of interest between the WHO and GlaxoSmithKline, which has a financial stake in vaccines.
                            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                              The Associated Press has a conflict of interest on the topic of malaria vaccine programs for children in Cameroon as they are reporting on a program that is being implemented by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Oxford University. The article does not disclose any other conflicts of interest.
                              • The Associated Press reports on the implementation of a malaria vaccine program for children in Cameroon, which is being carried out by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Oxford University.